Portland, OR – The Portland Timbers acquired Lovel Palmer, Mike Chabala and an international roster slot Thursday from the Houston Dynamo in exchange for Adam Moffat and allocation money.

Palmer and Chabala can both play defense or midfield. Palmer started the first 16 games this season for Houston, while Chabala has appeared just seven times this year but played 25 matches last season.

“Today we acquired two experienced MLS players,” Timbers manager John Spencer said. “Both Palmer and Chabala give us a great deal of versatility both on the back line and in the midfield.”

Palmer, 26, is a Jamaica international who played 51 games in all competitions over the last two years with the Dynamo.

Chabala, 27, spent part of his 2006 rookie season on loan with the USL First Division Timbers, appearing in eight matches. He made 69 appearances in all competitions for the Dynamo since 2006.

Moffat, 25, made four appearances as a substitute for the Timbers this season, amassing 100 minutes for the first team. He was a third-round selection of the Timbers in the 2010 MLS Expansion Draft. A seven-year pro, Moffat spent the previous four MLS seasons with Columbus.

“I want to thank Mike and Lovel for their contributions during their time in Houston and wish them the best of luck in Portland,” said Dynamo coach Dominic Kinnear. “In Adam, we’re getting a player that’s tenacious and has good distribution in his position. His qualities should add strength and depth to our midfield.”